Garden Pic Wednesday: My German Iris

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Today, I mowed the front yard and put down some top soil in a couple places that needed it. I also planted the two Million Bell plants (latin name: calibrachoa) that I purchased about 10 days ago. I'm trying a different location then in past years. They seem prone to mildew if overly wet from rain or watering, but I have a one pink one that keeps coming back year after year and even survived the 16 degree freeze. So they can be a very good investment for the perennial garden. 
I also noted my Queens Tears Bromeliads that lost all their greenery to this winters deep freeze are showing signs of new growth along their root bases. (Mine live outside in a dry, shady location. The girl who gave them to me kept them in pots outside as well.)
Shows just how tough a "tropical" plant can be!

Today's garden pic is a rare & lovely picture of one of my German Iris that decided it wanted to bloom this year:



Gorgeous!
This one has been a no show for at least the past 6 years, since it bloomed once after initial planting.
I have yet to find just the right location where all my German Iris will thrive and this isn't the first spot. It's the 3rd. 
I think maybe it's been too wet for them here, especially this year, so I plan on moving all 3 German Iris out of this particular row to the front yard, to a spot that is higher, dryer and will get a decent amount of sun without it being too much sun.Direct all-day Florida sun can be too much for many kinds of flowers and, if the sun isn't a problem, it's the wet.
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Sunny, generally dry days are predicted for our area for the next two weeks--maybe my back yard will dry out enough, so I can finally plant my rain garden area!
My giant red-leaf tropical spider lily that I want to plant there should ship soon and I plan on buying a Cinnamon Fern to add to the area from a local nursery, plus plant my rain lily bulbs.
(A giant tropical spider lily gets 4 feet high by 4 or 5 feet wide. 
No kidding on the word "giant" here and considering the quantity of water that area pools when it rains, it's gonna get really big, really fast.)

Ultimately, by next year, my rain garden will look fabulous! 
Right now, it looks like an large mud hole edged with some flagstones on one side with a few very happy native orange day lilies, that, luckily, thrive in either wet or dry conditions equally well!
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I was intending to do a Mama Kat, but preparations for a retreat where I'll be speaking on how to  How to Claim Promises from God's Word this weekend has superseded my time. 
So next post will be Good Eating on Monday!  See you then!

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